With the Colorado legislative session well underway, we have identified several bills of interest that Colorado employers should monitor. If enacted, these bills would expand worker protections and require certain employers to update their policies or procedures. While several of the bills authorize a private right of action, awareness and proactive compliance can help employers avoid costly litigation.
Husch Blackwell’s Donna Pryor and Laura Higbee provide an update to our January post on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) intention to convene a Small Business Advocacy Review Panel (SBAR Panel). This panel would help decide whether OSHA should enact a Prevention of Workplace Violence in Healthcare and Social Assistance standard. Read more
Workplace violence has become a hot topic in today’s discourse; however, workplace violence is not just headline fodder for media outlets. The trend is well-documented and especially felt by the healthcare industry which continues to experience the brunt after the onslaught of COVID-19. In 2018, 73% of all nonfatal workplace violence incidents involved healthcare workers. A late 2020 survey reported that 20% of nurses reported they were facing an increase in workplace violence after the COVID-19 pandemic began. Another study reported a 14.6% increase in workplace violence at New Jersey hospitals over the prior three years.
On Friday, May 6, the Tennessee Bar Association held its first in-person Labor & Employment Law Forum since 2019. Among the presenters were John Bode of Miller & Martin PLLC and Paul Merritt of Fortress Consulting, LLC, who discussed workplace violence.